Breakfast Fig Bars

Fun fact of the day: eating figs can apparently help increase your libido. How do I know this? Well, I once stated to someone that I love these fruits and he leeringly told me they were the secret reason he was awesome in the sheets. Sometimes I wonder how I end up meeting such unusual people.

That being said, here is a simple recipe for breakfast fig bars. There are easy to make, have a wonderful fluffy texture and are convenient to grab in the morning on the way to work. Just make sure not to mention their potential sexual benefits to anyone at the office, unless you want strange side glances.

Source of recipe: The Vibrant Table by Anya Kassoff
Serving: 8 large or 16 small bars
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 20-25 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups of dried figs, soaked overnight in purified water
• 1/4 cup honey or other sweetener of choice
• Juice and zest of 1 lemon
• 1 1/2 cup oat flour
• 1 cup almond flour
• 1/2 cup brown rice flour
• 1 teaspoon baking power
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1/3 cup almond butter
• 4 tablespoon coconut sugar, plus more for sprinkling
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• Rolled oats for sprinkling on top (optional)

Steps:

• Drain the figs, reserving the soaking liquid. In a food processor, blend the soaked figs with the honey and half of the lemon juice. If your food processor needs more liquid to puree the figs, add some of the soaking liquid, 1 tablespoon at a time. Take care not to make the fig puree too liquidy – aim for a thicker puree, as it needs to hold its shape. You can store the fig puree in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, until ready to use.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Meanwhile, combine the flours, baking powder, baking soda, lemon zest, and salt in a large bowl. Mix well.
• In a medium bowl, combine the almond milk, almond butter, coconut sugar, and vanilla. Whisk to incorporate. Mic in the rest of the lemon juice. Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry mixture and knead into a soft dough. Divide the dough in half.
• Line a 9 x 9 x 2 inch baking dish with parchment paper, extending it up the sides of the dish. Evenly distribute half of the dough in the dish by lightly pressing it into the bottom of the pan. Spoon in the fig puree and spread over the dough in an even layer.
• Crumble the remaining half of the dough on top of the fig layer, a small amount at a time. Lightly press down on the dough so the crumbles stick together as much as possible without disturbing the fig layer.
• Sprinkle the top layer of dough with coconut sugar and rolled oats. Bake 20 to 25 minutes. If you want your bars to have a golden brown top, turn on the broiler for the last minute or two of baking, but watch closely so the top does not burn. Remove the pan from the over and let cool completely.
• Lift the fig bars from the pan with the parchment paper and place on a cutting board. Cut into 8 large or 16 small bars with a sharp knife. The bars will be soft and may be a little crumbly on top, but they are nevertheless delicious.

My comments:

• I didn’t measure my flours correctly (distracted as usual!), so I didn’t have enough dough for my top layer. It ended up being mainly rolled oats. Therefore your final product will probably not look like my photos!
• In my pictures, I topped off the bars with coconut-milk based yogurt and fresh strawberries.

Have fun in the kitchen and let me know if you try out this recipe!

Much love and hugs,
Jules xo

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